Saudi Military Trainee Kills Three at Pensacola Navy Base Prompting Terror Investigation

For many Americans, the Friday morning began with some somber yet all-too-familiar news.

At a Naval Air Base in Pensacola, Florida, several were killed and even more injured after a gunman opened fire.

Police say they first received a call about the shooting at 6:51 a.m.

At 7:48 a.m., police confirmed that the shooter was dead. The base will remain closed until further notice and the FBI, ATF and the U.S. Attorney General’s Office are said to be assisting in the investigation.

At this time, the death toll stands at four:  Three who were killed by the gunman, and then the gunman himself who was shot and killed by responding law enforcement officers.

While the motive for the shooting is still unknown, the suspect has been identified as a Saudi national who was at the base for aviation training.

The gunman who opened fire Friday morning at Naval Air Station Pensacola in Florida, fatally shooting three people, has been identified as an aviation student from Saudi Arabia as investigators are looking into whether the attack is terrorism-related.

The gunman was confronted and taken out by a pair of responding officers. Two people were killed at the scene while a third victim died after being rushed to a local hospital. Seven others suffered injuries and are undergoing treatment, including the two officers, one of whom was shot in the arm and the other in the knee. Both are expected to survive.

The Saudi connection and terrorism concerns will likely sound familiar to Americans.

The nineteen hijackers responsible for the terror attacks of September 11th, 2001 were Saudi Arabian terrorists, some of whom were also aviation students in Florida, although not affiliated with the US military.